It comes as no secret that motion capture has been a fundamental component in the pursuit of fluid and realistic gaming animation for well over a decade.
While technology has improved substantially in recent years, facial animation has often proven difficult with varying results across studios. 2011’s L.A. Noire (developed by the now defunct Australian studio Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games) pioneered a new form of facial capture that brought a sense of realism to its character models, allowing players to interact with suspects and other investigators as if it were real life. At the time facial capture technology was cutting edge and almost unheard of; you’d be hard pressed not to feel wholly connected and deeply immersed whilst playing.
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Fast forward almost ten years and now NetherRealm Studios have their very own facial capture setup to compliment their enormous two-storey motion capture space. Hiring models from across the country, the team set to work mapping each of their faces, in turn creating the most realistic and jaw-dropping character models of any fighting franchise. A couple of additional well known faces were also captured, including those of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa who reprised his role as Shang Tsung from 1995’s Mortal Kombat motion picture, as well as Dimitri Vegas who served as a guest skin for Sub-Zero. While the talented Kaprice Imperial was hired to portray Princess Kitana, we have another talented woman in mind who could truly capture the character’s essence and is seen by many as “the real Kitana.”
Born and raised in Staten Island, NY, the highly talented Victoria Simone was introduced to Mortal Kombat by her father at an early age. Inspired by her favourite kombatant Kitana, she started training in martial arts at the age of 9 and pursued a professional career in modelling from the age of 16. More than an Instagram model, she has been featured in Vogue magazine amongst other publications.
Aside from martial arts and modelling, Victoria is also an accomplished actress, having starred in over twenty-five film and television projects. At the age of 19 she even began pursuing stunts with the view of building her already impressive portfolio.
A unique fusion of Chinese, Italian, Spanish and French heritage, Victoria’s playful nature, youthful looks and genuine passion for Mortal Kombat and its kommunity make her an ideal fit to portray Kitana in future titles. In fact, she has created quite the fandom over the past few years; her cosplay earning a retweet from series co-creator Ed Boon. Her resemblance alone has spurred many to create illustrations and artworks of Kitana in her likeness, and she remains an active participant in kommunity discussions.
While many have argued that they’d like to see Victoria as a purchasable skin for Kitana in Mortal Kombat 11, the probability of that occurring is highly unlikely due to the current pandemic affecting travel across the globe. With that being said, Kamidogu is hopeful along with a large portion of the Mortal Kombat kommunity that Victoria will be considered for future releases.
Kamidogu has created a petition to help Victoria’s cause, and we encourage you to take a quick moment to sign it. We believe that rewarding fans is truly special, and feel honoured to be a part of this journey. Be sure to also follow Victoria across her various social channels, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
